PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM
Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!
Here are a few things you can expect:
- We typically receive 2-3 blog posts per week here at GLA Headquarters from our program staff and students, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post daily – that’s totally normal.
- Blog updates sent on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
- Due to many factors, including but not limited to internet accessibility, photos may not always be available to post onto the blog. Sometimes onsite program staff are only able to send text back to Headquarters, where our team updates the blog.
Cell Phone Policy: The GLA cell phone policy is currently in place this summer to help foster meaningful connections between students. This means your student’s phone will be collected every day and returned to them throughout the program during designated spaces of time we call ‘tech time’. Actual tech times and regularity will vary greatly by program location. During designated ‘tech time’, your student may use their phones as they wish. Please note that your student may not always choose to use this time to get a hold of their parents. If you are not hearing directly from your student each day, you can assume that no news is good news! We strongly recommend you follow the blog to follow your students’ experience without talking to them every day. If you are a parent and would like to get in touch with your student directly, you can call us at +1-619-758-3031 and we can set up a formal time for you to connect with your student.
Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.
For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.
-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team
Click here to jump down to the most recent posts!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 8
Greetings GLA friends and family!
We’re here, saying hi, from the ruddy beauty of Moab, Utah! With all of our students having arrived safely, we are excited to get things up and flowing in a few days. Jack (our talented staff member who is finishing up his graduate degree in science education and acting in the role of Mentor), Diana (the International Director who is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker from Colorado who primarily works in the wilderness therapy realm) and Mollye (our Local Director who is representing our partner organization, Canyonlands Field Institute) have been hard at work for the past few days organizing logistics, planning curriculum, and prepping our rafts and home base for a great time for our Global Leadership Adventures participants! Everyone here is looking forward to providing service to the community in the form of trail maintenance in the Manti-LaSal mountains, just outside of Moab, followed then by learning more about leadership skills in white water settings! With a staff of 4 professional river guides from CFI who will be teaching us all about paddle rafting, oar rigging, Leave No Trace camping policies, and the intricacies of water rights on the Colorado river, we have so many educational and fun adventures ahead of us. Onwards to fun in the sun!
– GLA students, Diana, Jack, Mollye, and the staff at Canyon Lands Field Institute
BLOG POST FOR JULY 9
Written by By Jared Hobgood II and Chloe Schweizer
Everyday there is a different leader of the day, and every day they wake around 6:20 to wake up the other campers to get ready for days activities. At 7:15 we gather around to wash our hands and eat delicious breakfast. Today was homemade pancakes, bacons and potatoes. Then at 8:15 it is “Wheels up” which means we have to be in the vans and driving off to our destination which was the mountains. As soon as we got there at 9 we were briefed on safety and our tools which were going to be used to clean and clear the hiking trails. At 12:00 we stopped for lunch and looked at the beautiful view.
As soon as we finished lunch we went right back to work. When it hit 2 pm we gathered together and hiked down to a waterfall where we had a 20 minute break. After then we had the troubling hike back to the top then backtracked through the trail, back to the vans where we deposited our tools and then headed back to our hotels and yurt. We had an hour to decompress, then we had a wondrous dinner of pasta and meatballs with a side of leafy greens. Afterwards we played a “get to know you” activity which brought everyone together and more comfortable with each other. Finally we got together for an orientation where we had our questions answered by our staff afterwards we had “lights out.”
BLOG POST FOR JULY 10
Written by Ayaan and Kyan
It was bright and sunny at 6:30 which was good since that’s when I woke everyone up. Breakfast was a hit with everyone as we had breakfast burritos and cantaloupe. As soon as we had all made our lunch (bagel sandwiches). We piled into our vans and headed up and into the Manti LaSal Mountains where we met with a local forest ranger. We then split into three teams of about 6 and set out to clear the brush and widen some trails. While the work was satisfying it was hard and I think it’s safe to say everybody was beat on our way back to camp. After tech time we gathered for dinner which was another hit, (burgers, roasted potatoes and slices of watermelon). As soon as we finished our dish line we partnered up and made some skits about the code of conduct. We finished the day off with our first mentor group meetup where we got to play some games to get to know each other better. All in all it was a fun, tiring and, activity filled day.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 11
Written by Harper and Erik
Today we started off with a very rewarding activity of clearing the local trails for bikers and hikers. We have felt very proud and accomplished when doing our community service hours. Today we completed the final stretch and ended up working as a team in the end even though we had split off in groups before. I have really enjoyed being able to work in different group variations as I have met a lot of new people and had a lot of new experiences. I have really enjoyed being able to help out the local community and learn more about new environments and cultures along the way. After completing our final stretch of service hours we got in the car and drove to the gas station where we were able to spend our pocket money on really rewarding snacks and other good food.
After our incredibly refreshing gas station experience we loaded back up in the car and drove to Arches National Park where we started our hike. We got to learn from one of our Canyonlands Field Institute guides, Brandi, about indigenous/tribal experiences and hear her speak in Navajo. She is fully Navajo, or Dena'ina, as we learned when looking at petroglyphs from 200-400 years ago that were likely made by the Northern Ute tribe. The hike was really draining at first but soon we made it to our final destination which was immensely beautiful and rewarding after the hard work we had put in. Lastly, we ended the day with a picnic at the sunset in the canyons to celebrate all that we had accomplished during the day. Today we put in a lot of effort but at the end of the day I feel very proud for the work that we have accomplished.
We are off bright and early to head to the river. We will be floating from Westwater (aka Loma) Colorado and spend many days floating into Utah. We won’t have cell service or any access to technology during this time, so don’t plan to hear from us! Trust we’ll be having a great time with our GLA and CFI guides and will share a new blog post when we return 🙂
BLOG POST FOR JULY 17
Well, we did it! GLA staff here reporting a successful (and hot) program from Moab Utah. From clearing trails with the USFS in the La Sal mountain range to 5 days of rafting the Colorado river, we had a blast getting to explore some of the natural beauty of southeastern Utah. We cleared brush on some multi purpose trails and had the chance to hike down to an awesome waterfall on one of the last days.
Our local partners at the Canyonlands Field Institute took us through Westwater Canyon which gave us the chance to take on some class 3 and 4 rapids. After that, we spent the day on a few more flat stretches of river that gave us the chance to enjoy some beautiful scenery-cliffs, canyons, and mountains. We reinforced some camp signs along the river and cleaned some beaches of trash as well as another form of community service.
All great opportunities to give back to the people and places that gave us the chance to enjoy the Colorado river. The balance of service and adventure made for an awesome experience for everyone involved, and we're all so grateful to have had our awesome group of students.
Until next year! Thanks from Diana, Jack, Mollye, and the staff at Canyon Lands Field Institute.
Full photo album coming soon!
